


Second-Lead Syndrome

by Nuppy97



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff, How Do I Tag, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, M/M, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-20
Updated: 2020-03-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:13:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23223826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nuppy97/pseuds/Nuppy97
Summary: Hwang Hyunjin may or may have not developed a huge Second-Lead Syndrome for Kim Seungmin, the biggest one so far in his life.Where Hyunjin and Seungmin are rooftop buddies and feelings start to develop.
Relationships: Hwang Hyunjin/Kim Seungmin
Comments: 28
Kudos: 138





	1. Hyunjin's Story

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! This is kinda the first fic I'm posting here on ao3, so... yeah, here you go!  
> I have so many drafts and only started stories, but because I don't really do well with commitments, I never tend to finish them.  
> But I set a less ambitious goal for this one and actually got to finish this! So why not post it for the birthday boy today, right?  
> (and because I should not make the notes longer than the actual chapters, I'll stop talking now)  
> And I hope it at least coveys something, anything really! (hoping it to be that really nice fuzzy feelings we get from fluffy fics✨)

Kim Seungmin was the perfect second-lead, Hyunjin was sure of it. He never craved for attention, always working _on the backstage_ , as you can call it. Of course everyone, be it the teachers or the students, loved him!

Because he was also friendly, polite, kind and caring…but did they really know how much he cared? Probably not. They probably didn’t see all the things he did, without ever thinking about taking the credit. No one really paid that much attention.

Hyunjin would have been the same, if it wasn’t for that day he decided to look up from the book he was reading on the rooftop during lunch, as he always did. And then he saw it.

Seungmin was standing by the fence, with eyes locked on the blue sky and tears streming down his rosy cheeks. And the first thing that came to the black-haired boy's mind was, _pretty_. And no, it wasn’t because he had some sort of kink where he liked watching people cry. But… the always cheerful and smiling boy was now bearing his heart out right in front of him, and it was just simultaneously so beautiful and heartbreaking, that Hyunjin had to squeeze his eyes not to shed his own tears. And he would have stayed there forever, entranced by the sight, if Seungmin didn’t suddenly look his way, taking in his presence. He seemed shocked at first, caught red-handed in his most fragile moment, but then he smiled, eyes glistening as if covered by stardust and not the remainder of tears.

“What are you reading?” the brown-haired boy asked, voice light and warm.

“Nothing much” Hyunjin shrugged, taking small steps towards the other boy and showing the book’s cover “just a little something”. He wanted to ask Seungmin if he was sad, what made him sad and if there was something, anything, that he could do to help, but he didn’t want to make him uncomfortable. So he just let his skin feel the early autumn sun shining on the both of them and resolved on “Today… is pretty, isn’t it?” leaning his back to the concrete fence, his eyes closed.

“Yes” Seungmin whispered in a breath “Yes, it is”.

From that day on the rooftop, it was as if a new world came to Hyunjin’s sight. His eyes always seemed to find those soft-looking brown locks. He seemed to notice all the times Seungmin decided to lend a hand without any word, or to let go with a smile painted on his lips.

Seungmin never did grand-parade-styled actions, where every eye would be on him. He was all about small, hidden and soft-spoken gestures. He never even seemed to care to receive gratitude afterwards.

Everyday at lunch on that bare rooftop, Hyunjin couldn’t also help but wonder a little if Seungmin was going to come again. And no, it wasn’t because he didn’t have any friends. In fact, he had too many of them! But between school, homework and club activities he just needed some time alone: just him and his thoughts and his books.

It was a week after that first day that Seungmin returned. He carefully slided beside Hyunjin and “Today is also pretty” he said, his voice soft “if it isn’t a trouble, can I sit here?”.

Hyunjin didn’t expect this, and his eyes wide from surprise, he gaped a “Sure, I don’t mind!” and added for extra precaution “It was getting lonely anyway in here”. It wasn’t really. He loved his solitude just as much he loved his friends’ company. But he didn’t want Seungmin to go away. He wanted him there, in what seemed like a little secret shared by the two of them. And it was nice.

After that day, Seungmin returned again, and again, and again, until he was there nearly everyday, as if there was some kind of ritual between them. They didn’t talk much, but it also didn’t feel like they needed to fill every little silence with empy words.

They would talk about something peculiar that happened to them recently, or something that made them happy that day. They never got too deep, though never too superficial. It was just that right amount of complicity where everything is comfortable.

Seungmin’s skin smelled like bubbly soap and fresh laundry, and when there was some wind blowing through his hair, it would carry the flavour of peaches and strawberries. He would sometimes hum soft melodies, distant and comforting like a blurry childhood memory.

Seungmin was like the clear blue sky on a busy day: barely perceived, but once noticed, so very difficult to look away!

In fact, more than a few people got captivated by the vastity that was Kim Seungmin. Once in a while he would also receive shy confessions hidden between the bushes of the school garden. And each and every time he would flash a remorseful smile, and say _sorry_ in a little voice, because he _couldn’t reciprocate their feelings_.

Hyunjin never really tried to ask the boy the reason for all his rejections. Instead, one day, his book open on a page he couldn’t remember and eyes focused on the clouds above their heads, he asked “What do you want to be after high school?”

And he didn’t really know what he was expecting as an answer, but it wasn’t the lonesome smile he received.

“I want to be myself” said Seungmin and waited for Hyunjin’s reaction. Seeing the black-haired boy’s bewilderment, he added with a laugh “but if you wanted to know what I’m going to do after high school, then I’m going to try and become a prosecutor”.

Hyunjin didn’t expect that. Was he not feeling like he could be himself then? Was that mysterious glint he always saw in Seungmin’s big amond-shaped eyes suffocation?

“What about you?”

Hyunjin didn’t even have time to process the question before his mouth opened in a barely hearable “I want to be happy”.

And because he received nothing but a hum in return, he immediately tried to correct himself with a awkward laugh “Wait! That sounds really stupid, right?” eyes fixed on the ground.

“Not really, isn’t that what we all want?” Seungmin lazily stretched his arms, as if they were just talking about what to eat for dinner “Besides, if that were to be stupid, then mine would be even worse”. After that, he casually started humming a melody Hyunjin was sure to have heard on some late night radio show.

Everything was casual with Seungmin. Casual, simple and unjudged. And Hyunjin may or may have not developed a huge Second-Lead Syndrome for Kim Seungmin, the biggest one so far in his life. And of course he knew that the brown-haired boy was not a character from one of his favourite books or dramas, but he so very wanted to support him against the world and wish him every little slice of happiness he deserved, just as if he were one!

“The day we first met on this rooftop” started carefully Hyunjin, the drumming of his heartbeat quickening in the almost approaching spring sun “Why were you crying?”

He saw Seungmin looking at him in confusion, before widening his eyes in a sudden realization.

“You don’t have to tell me if it makes you uncomfortable!” Hyunjin exclaimed immediately, afraid of having displeased his friend “I was just wondering…”

“I’m never uncomfortable with you” Seungmin flashed him a reassuring smile “It’s just not that interesting of a story”.

“It’s not about it being interesting or not…” Hyunjin mumbled, his head low. _It’s because it made you so sad_ , he wanted to add, but didn’t.

When silence protracted, he expected his question to remain unanswered, but then he heard Seungmin speaking “You could say I was kind of going through a breakup”.

Hyunjin whipped his head towards the boy “Oh, I didn’t know you had… you were…” he couldn’t finish his sentence. A lump was forming in his throat.

“I was saying goodbye to someone really dear to me” he continued “it was time I did”.

The black-haired boy was scared to ask who could have held so much importance to him, breath heavy on his chest “who… was that?”

“Me” whispered Seungmin enigmatically “I was saying goodbye to my childhood and all the dreams that came along with it” and stared longingly at the sky.

And that was when it hit him. He, Hwang Hyunjin, was falling in love with Kim Seungmin and he couldn’t do anything to stop it. He was already in far too deep.

Even if he knew he stood literally no chance.


	2. Seungmin's Story

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is from Seungmin's POV (real smart Nuppy, as if the title wasn't enough!)  
> I hope it shows a somewhat different line of thinking, because it's a different character and all, but yeah...not really sure it worked🤣🤣🤣

Seungmin had always lived his life carefully, and that’s why he would have never imagined to be caught off-guard while being one of his most fragile selves by one of the most popular people in the school. And he would have never thought that, barely a week after that, he would be willing facing the same boy on the same rooftop he made himself a fool of.

At first, it was just for curiosity. Where did the loud boy from soccer club go and who was this quit boy always immersed in books? It wasn’t long before he realised that they were both equally part of Hwang Hyunjin.

He was reflective and sensible just as much as he was cheerful and loud. He would think away too much, until it made him anxious and insecure. But he would also laugh so freely at the littlest thing as if nothing in the world could ever break him.

Sometimes he would be so invested in what he was reading, that he’d barely give Seungmin a nod before returning to his previous task, not to utter anything else for the rest of the lunch break. Other times, his favourite ones, he would give him the biggest smile as soon he had heard the rooftop door opening and, book laying forgotten on his side, he’d engage in so many random topics it would be difficult to follow.

He would never force Seungmin to talk though, never prying for explanations or asking for justifications, even content of going on long solitary chatters on those times listening was all the brown-haired boy wanted to do. But when Seungmin would talk, it looked like he was listening to the most interesting story ever, giggling whenever he heard something he found funny. And by no means would Seungmin consider himself as funny, but he was kind of starting to doubt this unconditional truth.  
Hyunjin was also so very thoughtful and kind, it made Seungmin’s heart ache.

He would always drink a strawberry-milk, but a few weeks in their unuttered arrangement of spending the lunchtime together, Hyunjin took out from his backpack two cartoons of milk. One strawberry and one banana, Seungmin’s favourite.

“How did you know?” the brown-haired boy asked, when offered the banana-milk, eyes wide in surprise.

“L-lucky guess, I suppose?!” Hyunjin stuttered, caught off-guard.

“Really? I didn’t even say what” Seungmin smirked, somehow intrigued by why the boy before him seemed to be flustered.

Hyunjin groaned, but then continued with a soft voice “I wasn’t stalking you or anything” his hands fiddling with the straw and eyes flying everywhere “I just saw you with this drink in the hallways, once or twice… or thrice…”

“Whatever you say, stalker~” Seungmin giggled, way more touched that he would have expected. It was something so simple, but it also showed clearly that the black-haired guy cared enough to notice little details that would usually go overlooked. And he cared enough to buy it for him, without even being asked. From then one, every day at lunch he would present Seungmin with a cartoon of banana-milk, as if it was so natural. In return, Seungmin would share his melon bread, which, as he came to understand, the both of them loved.

Hyunjin was also warm. Even in the harsh winter days, his head on Seungmin’s shoulder would make him forget about the cold weather, silky black hair tickling his neck and soft giggles caressing his ears. Everyone talked about the beauty mark strategically placed under his left eye, but Seungmin’s favourite features on the boy were the cheeks that sometimes would get puffier than normal, resembiling hot streamed buns and eliciting constant fussing by their owner about how bloated they looked. Also his hands, that hold so much effortless elegance even while simply running his fingers through the pages of his book or pointing out something in the distance.

Hyunjin was like the sea. Calm and healing once, tumultuous like waves distraught by the storm some other times, and ridden with playful joy right the next. Like sea tides, he was unpredictable and with too many tales to tell. And ever since he could remember, Seungmin loved the sea.

Hyunjin smelt like roses, maybe with a dash of lavender. It wasn’t as strong as it should have been if it were perfume, instead it was light and fresh as if it was radiated directly from his skin. And for the brown-haired boy, it was the most comforting smell ever.

Hyunjin also loved cuddles. Whenever possible, he would latch his arms around someone, or snuggle his head somewhere. But in some curious way, he would be very delicate, never putting too much of body pressure into the hugs, just slightly caressing whatever limb he was dangling from. And Seungmin had never thought that he would ever feel touch-starved until one day the boy with the pretty smile stopped coming to that desolated rooftop.

At first, Seungmin didn’t think much about it. Maybe he was sick, or maybe he had some other appointment. But then, days went by and nearly a week had passed. He would see Hyunjin laughing at someone’s joke through the hallways, but evade his eyes when they crossed each other.

Was he avoiding him? But why? He couldn’t think of anything disrespectful he might have done to the other boy and couldn’t stop his brain from over-thinking.

Seungmin knew that he was being borderline unreasonable. They never promised each other to be there to share their lunchtime every single day. But maybe if Hyunjin told him what he did wrong, he could try and fix it. And maybe if he gave him a reason to why he didn’t want to hang out anymore, the dreadful clench he was feeling in his chest would easen a little. Or maybe not.

Before he could even start to think, Seungmin marched to the black-haired boy, grabbed him by a hand, not even a glance to the surprised group of friends and, without a word, he started walking towards their rooftop.

“Wh- Seungmin?” Hyunjin was clearly distressed, but wasn’t showing any resistance “What happened?”

Seungmin couldn’t utter anything, climbing the stairs as fast as possible. _God, he was being so selfish!_

When the rooftop door closed behind them, the brown-haired boy let go of the strong grip of his hand and turned slowly to a highly confused Hyunjin, but with no sign of anger.

Why wasn’t he angry? He should be angry at someone who just decided to rudely pull him away from his friends without any valid explanation!

“Is everything okay?” the black-haired boy tried to ask again, worry clouding his usually bright eyes.

“Please tell me what is wrong!” Seungmin begged way more loudly than he had intended to, voice shaking in process.   
Hyunjin blinked confusedly “Wha- I don’t think I understand…”

“You are avoiding me and I don’t know what I did wrong!” again, too loud and too desperate. Why was he sounding like a temperamental child? “Please tell me…”

“What?! No No No No No you did nothing wrong!” Hyunjin started panicking, flailing his arms rapidly “Oh my God, this wasn’t supposed to go like this!”

“What do you mean?” Seungmin whispered. Was he not supposed to try and fix this? Was he supposed to let go of whatever type of friendship the two of them had developed?  
He didn’t even notice the tears swelling up in his eyes until Hyunjin cupped his face beseeching “No! Why are you crying? Please don’t cry…”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t intend to…” he tried to free himself from the soft grip and hide the tears, but the black-haired boy persisted.

“Why do you keep saying sorry when you've done nothing wrong?!” Hyunjin exclaimed in something that resembled too much to a sob. 

Alarmed, Seungmin tried to pat the tears away from the other boy’s cheeks “Why are _you_ crying?”

“It wasn’t supposed to go like this, I swear it wasn’t!” Hyunjin’s sobs were more prominent now, tears flowing from his beautiful eyes.

Seungmin scooped the boy in a hug, strocking his back slowly “I trust you, it’s okay”

Hyunjin was holding him tightly, for how long he didn’t know, then he broke the hug and tried to compose himself “You really _really_ haven’t done anything wrong, it was just me who had to do something stupid!” he mumbled frustrated. 

“What? No, don’t talk like that!” Seungmin really disliked how often Hyunjin tried to belittle himself “If it was important for you, then it’s not stupid” Why couldn’t he see how extraordinary of a person he was? 

“And this is exactly why it won’t ever work” the black-haired boy chuckled humorlessly.

“What will not work?” Seungmin didn’t want to press, but he knew this was important and he knew he needed to hear this.

Hyunjin sighed, eyes full of something indecipherable “I tried… I really tried to forget about you”

Seungmin’s breath got caught in his throat “Why would you want to forget me…?” Was he really ready to hear this? His stomach was painfully twisted and he knew that he was seconds away from tears, again.

“Seungmin… I don’t know when exactly it started” Hyunjin took in a deep breath “but I don’t see you the same way you see me…” and searched for a reaction. 

Which way was the same way? Was the other way the one you feel towards an annoying brat, as he was so much feeling of himself lately?

“I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable and thought that maybe if I kept my distance from you for a while, then it would go away on its own and I could be your friend again, just like before” the black-haired boy continued. 

“So I really did something bad, didn’t I?” Seungmin was resolved to be the mature adult he was and be comprehensive, against whatever tumultuous thought was going through his mind and against the earratic heartbeat in his chest that was starting to become painful.

“No no no again, it wasn’t you!” Hyunjin shaked his head vigorously “You were just being you and I somehow just keep falling for you, even right know in this moment”

Oh. Did he hear right?

Seungmin’s confusion must have showed on his face, because Hyunjin immediately took a step backwards “And now you are probably not really comfortable with me, and I totally understand if you need some time away from me, or just not talk to me anymore or-” his monologue got interrupted by a pair of fresh hands, long fingers tenderly shutting his lips. 

“Wait, was this a confession?” Seungmin mumured, eyes still wide from surprise. And when he received a nod in return “So you don’t really hate me?” this time he received a denial with a vehement shake of the head, silky black hair tickling his fingers. And it felt like a huge weight was lifted from his shoulders.

Hyunjin brought his hands on the ones that were still keeping his mouth closed and delicately peeled them off “I really don’t hate you, it’s literally the contrary” his voice sounding guilty “And I can go away now an-”

“NO!” Seungmin stopped whatever direction the whole speech was going to “Don’t go away…”

Hyunjin sighed “But Seungmin, you have to understand that right now I really can’t see you not romantically, and I’m fine with awkward, but I want to be sure that you’re okay and that you don’t feel pressured or uncomfortable or-” again, he was stopped. But this time with soft lips grazing his, leaving him flabbergasted. 

“I already told you” Seungmin started, going in for another peck on those incredibly soft lips “You never.” Then another one “Make me.” And another one “Uncomfortable.” And the last peck, longer than the previous ones “So don’t leave me again, please”

And when Hyunjin started crying again, hugging him like his life depended on it, Seungmin felt like crying too. Like a sailor man after a long period on land. Because the sea was so much more beautiful up close.


	3. A Life with You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is fluffy~  
> And I love fluffy ✨  
> (I'll go down with this ship, bye!)

Finally home, after a long day packed with university lessons and part-time job shifts, Hyunjin kicked off his shoes and deposited them neatly in the shoe rack. Of course because his roommate was a literal neat freak, and no way in the world would he like to anger him.

To the though of his roommate, a smile couldn’t stop its way to his face. In fact, he immediately went to the kitchen, where he was sure to find the beautiful boy he shared the apartment with.

At the kitchen table, Seungmin was furiously typing on his computer keyboard, eyebrows crunched and lips pursed in a tiny pout like every time he was focusing too hard. Thick glasses were placed on the bridge of his nose. And did Hyunjin ever tell how cute the boy looked with glasses? Because he was the absolute cutest! 

In big strides, Hyunjin wrapped his arms around his boyfried’s shoulders and kissed him on the cheek “Hey baby~ how are you?”

Seungmin finished the sentence he was tapping before turning around with a sweet smile “Hey” and placed long peck on his lips “I’m almost finished. How’s your day been?”

“All better now that I have you~” Hyunjin snuggled his head on the crock of Seungmin’s neck, eliciting a little giggle from the said boy.

And was he joking when he said that? No sir, he wasn’t, how dare you! After all these years, he still couldn’t believe how he landed himself such a catch.

“Jinnie it tickles~” Seungmin complained with another round of giggles. Oh wow, how he loved that sound!

“What do you want eat today, babe?” Hyunjin brought his face away from the nape that smelled like home and directed his attention to the boy in his embrace. 

“My mum brought us some steamed kimchi the other day, so we could have that with some fried rice” Seungmin suggested. 

“On it!” Hyunjin immediately saluted as if he were a soldier and runned to the kitchen counter, evoking another laugh. Did he already tell how this was literally his favourite sound in the entire world? Because it was. 

While Hyunjin set up the rice cooker and started heating the cooking pan, Seungmin quickly finished typing the last words of his essay and closed the computer. Then he went straight to the fridge, grabbed three eggs end scooted beside his boyfriend “Now tell me, how are you really?” and, while cracking the eggs open in a bowl and mixing it absentmindedly with a couple of chopsticks, he smirked playfully “Also don’t think that lying can save you”

Hyunjin leaned his forehead to his boyfriend’s “How do you even do this?” he sighed, a dreamy smile slowly forming on his lips “I was sleepy and exhausted and famished, but you just look at me with those big puppy eyes of yours and I become all dumb and happy”

Seungmin left the chopsticks flat on the bowl, cupped his cheeks and left such a tender kiss on his lips that Hyunjin’s legs went jelly, then proclaimed seriously “I also become dumb for you, you dumb boy”

“We can be dumb together now~” Hyunjin decided excitedly. Then he circled his arms around the middle of his stunning boyfriend and pampered him in noisy pecks, making him squirm around in a fit of giggles.

The bip of the rice cooker interrupted their banter. Seungmin picked it up, scooped all the rice into the already hot frying pan and started pouring the eggs in it. 

“How come you look hot even while doing this?” Hyunjin pouted, already missing the attention.

“To distract people from the taste of course!” Seungmin joked.

“Oh why now, baby? Trust me when I say you also taste amazing~” the black-haired boy flirted, proud of the surprised cough he received in return.

“Dummy, you taste even better!” Seungmin flirted back, caught by a childish competition.

Hyunjin laughed at his boyfriend’s antics and prepared the dining table with a couple of bowls, chopsticks and spoons, and the steamed kimchi.

Seungmin brought the hot pan with the finished fried rice to the table, and the both of them dived in the food. They usually didn’t eat fancy, but cooking and eating together was probably one of the best parts of Hyunjin’s day. 

The other one was when, like that day, Seungmin would have finished all his coursework and would watch with him some unfinished drama. He liked laying his head on Seungmin’s leg, slender fingers caressing his scalp and playing with his hair. 

“You know, in high school I used to see you as the perfect second-lead” and when he received a hum in return, he continued “And I used to hate how they would do the impossible for the heroine, but never get noticed”

“And now?” Seungmin asked curious.

“And now I think it’s better this way, because they deserve so much more than being a replacement for someone else” he looked up at his boyfriend, who was staring at him intrigued. If he were to write a list about all the things he loved about the boy, this would have been one of the top points: he never treated Hyunjin’s mazy way of though as foolish, instead he tried to understand it, fascinated to see how all the knots came undone. “And you know” the black-haired boy added “You've always been my first lead”

Seungmin giggled again, kissing the nose of the boy on his laps, and then his rosy lips “And you’ve always been my personal ocean”.

And of course Hyunjin knew how much Seungmin loved the sea!


End file.
